Roasting is a favourite way of preparing meat, transforming it from raw to cooked. Try dressing an old favourite such as roast lamb with new flavours to reinvent the humble roast.
Roast meat – yes, this primal worship of the flesh has been, is and will be central to human feasting. In spite of much more awareness surrounding the consumption of meat, the roast is still a centrepiece at Christmas, Easter and countless other festivals and gatherings. It is essential to Argentina’s gaucho culture with asado; it showcases New Zealand’s indigenous heritage in Hangi, the tradition of roasting meat over heated stones set into the ground – but in many homes globally, the ‘humble’ roast is enjoyed all year round.
Whether you take the British route of roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and fluffy roast potatoes, a whole lamb cooked over an open fire, or a spit with a pig on it, rotating until the meat is soft and juicy, it is undeniable that for carnivores, roasting is one of the best ways to enjoy meat. What is more, by changing your accompaniments, adding different flavours and adjusting cooking methods, you can reinvent the less-than-humble roast regardless of season.
Hence one of my favourite variations on a classic theme: slow-roasted shoulder of lamb with Moroccan spices. In these latitudes, typically, the leg is more common as a roast and then served with mint sauce or redcurrant jelly, roast potatoes and gravy. Delicious. However, in the words of Cole Porter, “anything goes.” Take your meat, be inspired by a whole world of flavours and take the plunge.
You can make your own Moroccan spice mix by combining ground cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, allspice, cloves, ginger and cinnamon, but equally any good supermarket will sell Ras El Hanout ready-made. Its warming, sweet flavour works perfectly with lamb. I particularly like a shoulder, it’s a more affordable cut and you can cook it for hours, allowing the fat to break down and the meat to become meltingly tender. This, in turn, ensures all the flavours from the spice mix infuse the meat, giving a deep, rich flavour.
The accompaniments to this dish are just as varied and fabulous. I’m going to recommend roast vegetables with harissa, served on a bed of freekeh. I have chosen bell peppers and courgettes but honestly, you can use whatever vegetable you like, harissa works really well with most of them.
In place of potatoes, I present freekeh. It is made from green grains of durum wheat which are roasted and rolled to deliver a nutty, smoked flavour. I love freekeh as an alternative to couscous, it is so much more interesting and compliments the flavours of the spiced lamb and roasted vegetables perfectly.
